The camera bodies of known electronic video cameras are typically parallelepiped-shaped and have at a front side face a usually circular objective connection which defines a visual axis of the camera (central surface normal on the plane of extent of the objective connection) by its alignment. The visual axis thus corresponds to the axis of the light incidence, wherein the light incident through the objective connection acts on at least one image sensor in the interior of the camera body without deflection directly or indirectly via optical elements (e.g. deflection prisms).
The camera body can have a carrier handle at an upper side via which the camera can be carried from above for supporting the camera during a recording of image data. Alternatively or additionally, a shoulder support can be provided at a lower side of the camera by means of which the camera can be supported on the shoulder of a cameraman.
In addition to such fundamental holding devices, a variety of special further holding devices are known, such as tripods, steadycams, camera suspensions and camera cranes. Such holding devices can be screwed to the camera body, in particular via a standardized thread at a lower side face of the camera body.
With such holding devices rigidly connected to the camera body such as a carrier handle formed integrally at the camera body or a tripod screwed to a defined point of the camera body, the support point of the camera is fixedly defined. This has the disadvantage that no adaptation of the support to weight shifts of the camera is possible. Such weight shifts can in particular result on the use of different objectives of different lengths and different weights as well as on the attachment of different accessory devices such as a matte box and/or a focus pulling device which are arranged at or in front of the respective objective.
For a more variable support of the camera, adapter plates, so-called base plates, can be used which can be rigidly connected, in particular screwed, to the camera body and which can have connection possibilities for holding devices in different positions. For example, corresponding connection possibilities can be provided at different points of the adapter plate. The adapter plate can, however, in particular have a longitudinal guide for the lengthways variable arrangement of a holding device. Furthermore, the adapter plate can serve for further connection possibilities for fastening accessory devices for the camera.
The disadvantage of such an adapter plate is an increased construction complexity since a further components has to be taken along and connected to the adapter plate in addition to the camera itself and any accessory devices. In addition, tolerance chains can be produced on the mechanical connection of the adapter plate to the camera body as well as of a respective holding device to the adapter plate so that the total camera system can have an increased mechanical clearance. In addition, there is the fact that the camera body of known video camera typically only has one single connection for holding devices in the form of a standardizes thread at a lower side face of the camera body so that only one single adapter plate can be screwed to the camera body. On a use of different holding devices, they therefore each have to be connected to the same adapter plate and are thus as a rule coupled to the lower side face of the camera body, while further side faces of the camera body remain unused. The flexibility in the setup of the camera system is thereby in particular restricted.